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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

20 days...time is moving FAST

There is a big wall calendar opposite my desk at work. It is a constant reminder of how fast time is moving. The moving truck comes 3 weeks from yesterday. That was 1...2...3 weeks when looking at the calendar. Three isn't a very big number.

The housing situation is FINALLY settled. There was a ton of discussion and details on that front, but as of last night, we signed a two-year lease on a 2250 sq foot townhouse. We won't need a storage unit now. The unit comes with a washer and dryer, so no need to buy a new washer for awhile (Rest in peace, washer). The whole unit is being painted this week, floors refinished. It will be good. G-man found out there is someone at his office who lives in the complex, so I already have a "walking buddy." She said it is a great complex and really likes it there. G-man is setting up all the utilities there, so we should be able to move right in.

The movers have been hired. Attorney for closing hired.

G-man is flying here on Thanksgiving, and my BFF whom we have nicknamed "Travel Goddess" found him an $88 flight! We are renting a second car to help with our handcarrying stuff, and to give the kids a little more room (plus the cats take up alot of space). And Travel Goddess found us a $65 rental...for 4 days! It seemed too good to be true, but since it was through AAA, I stopped in to a center and they confirmed it was legit. We have a hotel reservation for our last night here....the same hotel we stayed in almost 16 years ago when we moved here. Full circle....

Packing is going well. I was concerned we weren't going to have enough boxes, but we have plenty. I would say between 1/2 and 2/3 packed. There is a little work to do in the attic, but I think within a few hours that will be done.

This week's main goals are school and medical.

Now that we definitely have a new home, we can register for school. I had a few questions about the registration process, but I think most of that is settled now. I have a phone call into the school nurse about some Bossy specific things, and hopefully she will call back today. I will sign releases this week so both old and new schools can talk to each other. Transcripts are in the works. I have report card conferences on Thursday and next week is my big meeting for Bossy about all his testing.

The new school has a gifted program, so we are looking into that for Sassy. They also seem to have some type of program with Duke University, but I didn't have the chance to investigate that yet.

Medical is turning out to be a big project. Bossy has braces, so we have been calling orthodontists (unfortunately, G-man wasn't able to find anyone who has kids with braces to get a recommendation). Bossy also has a feeding tube, and we need to return his feeding pump here and get a new one there. I am in the process of dealing with that.

I have several appointments I need to cancel....work on getting copies of files....finding new doctors. Some of that may be done after we move. I need to concentrate on the parts that need to be done sooner than later.

Medical has also turned out to include the cats. I took them in for their yearly check-up and vaccinations last weekend ($$$$), and my two older cats (each 16 years) both lost some weight. They recommended testing their thyroid, and turns out that both have hyperthyroid, which is common in older cats, and very treatable. So they are starting on medication today, and need to be checked again in 4-6 weeks. We are using pills right now and will investigate compounding a liquid or the ear paste after we move. But now I have to find a vet sooner than later.

No real news on the house. The dates for bringing up issues with the house have past. The appraisal isn't done yet (but believe it or not....it has only been just over 2 weeks since we signed the contract). I have a few more questions for the realtor, so that is on the To Do list for today as well. Next week I will call and start scheduling shut off dates for the utilities. They will stay on until closing, but of course once the house is empty, usage will be minimal.

I waiver between "I got this under control" and "EEEEKKKKK!!" I have friends who want to get together to have one last night out, and I am trying to schedule all of that in too. Both kids will need a hair cut (and so do I!). Three weeks is no time at all!

You sound like you have a great handle on things! I know it will be a stressful three weeks, but I am so excited for you that you will be back together as a family in no time flat! .... The Duke program is likely TIP (Talent Identification Program). If I remember from my kids' days, 7th-graders are selected based on test scores/performance to take the SAT. Duke looks at those SAT scores and invites top kids to join their TIP activities. Great opportunity for gifted kids.

Just curious but how much of an deposit did they put down in the offer for your house? We ended up doing the radiation therapy for our cat's thyroid. It's great because no Meds are needed now, not so great on how expensive it was. I'm curious to find out how well the pills works.

I don't have it in front of me, but it was about 2k deposit, with another 3k (roundish numbers) due after the inspection. I have an email to the realtor about where we are with all of that.

I can't even think about radiation for the cats right now. My plan is just get them started on the pills, find a new vet, and then discuss where we can go from there. I talked to our vet here about it, and she said that was fine.

That's good news. Less likely for them to walk away from the house with so much money down. I guess I was lucky to have proactive realtors that would keep me in the loop so I didn't have to keep asking for updates.

Major Tip for you. When you change your address with the post office (which let me save you a trip....you can do it online) there will be an offer for coupons for lots of stores in your new location. Look at them! One of the best ones was 10% off your total purchase at Target which can be used on just about anything including food and cleaning supplies! I saved a lot of money. Also check to see if any local grocery stores are on there or any service you many need - there were a few I used for everyday things and just click the box for them to email the coupons to you. It is definitely worth checking out!

CONGRATS! So awesome. I think a two year lease is PERFECT. It will really help you get a feel for the neighborhood. The Duke thing is probably Duke TIPS. It's a lot of online courses and they do really cool summer intensive workshops. I acutally believe that registration is now or something. I'm very excited for you.

It sounds like it's all coming along great! I just had to start giving my cat the thyroid medicine, too. I do the transdermal compound to the ears and it is working well for him (and I don't have to try to get a pill down him twice a day!) If you go the compound cream route be sure to ask if it's cheaper to buy several months at once. At my pharmacy it was $43 for one month, but $65 for 3. Big savings. Vet said if our cat was younger with lots of years left, he would go the radiation route, but due to the cost of it and his advanced age he recommended the pills or cream.

My ex did not understand all I had to do each time we moved. He never wanted to stay in one place for over 6 months, and I was left to fend for myself on all these fronts with each move. Well, I finally divorced him for many reasons!